10 Luxuries You Can Only Give Yourself
You know there's a multi-billion dollar industry that caters specifically to the 1%. It's designed for people with deep pockets, and most of the time, it's a bit over the top just because it can be. But some of the best luxuries in life are only those you can give to yourself, and these are 10 of them. Welcome to Alux.
First up, the luxury of authenticity. A $10,000 suit makes you look important and sophisticated, sure. A $50 sweater from a boutique shop in Japan makes you look like you. The world puts too much emphasis on how you should look and how you should present yourself, to the point where everyone looks the same. But in a room full of suits, it's the guy in the hoodie who usually makes the calls. Authenticity is a luxury that you can afford when you've already proven yourself. You don't need to supplement your image with visual cues just to solidify a particular narrative. Dress codes are usually for those who need to look like they belong. Real authenticity is when you're a complete individual at your core. You know who you are and what you bring to the table. Everything besides that is just characteristics of your own personality and what makes you unique as a human being. You don't hide them, nor do you put a pretty bow on them to dress them up.
The luxury of saying no to an obvious yes. Sometimes multiple interesting things happen at the same time: good investment opportunities, interesting trips, meeting new people, going to new places, experiencing the news. These all overlap. Most people get really stressed when these things happen, and they usually default into picking the most optimal option. It's like that friend who didn't come to your party anymore because something more interesting happened at the same time. The luxury in saying no to obvious yeses is knowing that you can always experience things whenever you like. A missed opportunity now can be remade later, and you say yes to whatever feels right for you rather than what is optimal. It's a real luxury to say no to good opportunities just because you don't feel like it.
The luxury of self-made consequences. For the first third of your life, you have to deal with outside consequences. If you don't finish your plate, you don't get to play with your toys. If you don't finish your homework, you don't get to hang out with your friends. If you don't pass that exam, you don't get to go to the place with better opportunities. Now, as annoying as this might be, it provides an easy-to-follow structure: do this, get this. It's a reliable framework, right? But some people get really used to this to the point where any action outside of this structure feels either dangerous or unrewarding. Nobody gives you a salary if you start a business and show up every day. Nobody gives you permission to hang out with your buddies if you finish all those reps at the gym. So when people come from pre-made structures, they find it difficult to deal with self-made consequences. That's where luxury comes in. It basically revolves around having self-respect and being able to hold yourself responsible. It's about dealing with your own consequences and not needing outside pressure. For some, this feels like a burden, but for a few, this is a luxury in autonomy.
The luxury of mental peace. The world around you is designed to grab and keep your attention, making you hyper aware about things that don't have any real value for you. We've yet to see the full impact of being hyper stimulated from a young age, but even for us who grew up with no technology and outside chaos, we still find it difficult sometimes to find the mental peace required to operate at the level we need. Mental peace is about stillness and quiet. We need to make sense of a lot of things around us. As we grow older, we become more aware of the importance of having a balanced mind. It's truly a luxury to be able to get to a place where it's quiet, and you have the room you need to think deeply. The hustle and bustle of everyday life usually gets full control of your attention. Even the most well-thought-out schedule cannot offset how chaotic things can be, which is why we truly see mental peace as a luxury.
The luxury of creation. One of the things that separates us from other living beings on Earth is our ability to imagine. Imagine things that don't exist. It's our ability to create something out of nothing that got us this far. The process of creation is a fundamental trait of our nature, yet so many people don't get to exercise this power. Most live in a factory line setting like bees, unaware of their own abilities. The luxury of creation is about putting your imagination into the real world. For some, this need is so powerful they cannot stop. That's why the homes of artists are often filled to the ceiling with their work. They constantly have this need to let their imagination out. It's a very fulfilling process, and it's one that very few people get to truly experience.
The luxury of the unknown. How many things are new, exciting, and mysterious for you? Our guess is not very many, right? Even traveling to new places is not the same anymore because you've already seen like 18 travel vlogs about it. You know what you're getting yourself into. So, ask yourself this: how many things have you experienced for the first time in the last five years? This question should open your eyes up a bit. The luxury of the unknown is about allowing yourself to discover the world at your own pace, through your own perspective. So many people live their lives through the lives of others; they don't even get to actually do the things themselves. If you want to give yourself this luxury, make a deal with yourself to experience something for the first time once a year, every year at least. You'll thank us later.
The luxury of new friends. Many people believe that their circle must end with the ones they meet in their early age. They feel like things just aren't the same with new people, and this also blocks them from developing the required social skills. The thing is, you will meet more people past your 20s than you do beforehand. It's only natural, or it should be at least, to make new connections as you grow older. And become a more interesting person. As you do more things and go to more places, you'll meet people from different backgrounds with different perspectives. The luxury of new friends is just something you must allow for yourself. As time goes by, you should have more resources to do cooler stuff, or at least the cool stuff you wished you could have done when you were young. Not everyone from your initial circle may be at the same place or have the same needs or value you anymore. There's no such thing as having too many people you can call a friend.
The luxury of your own sanctuary. Have you ever walked into someone's home and felt like you walked into an Ikea showroom? Well, this goes hand in hand with being authentic. Some people just don't know how, or they haven't explored themselves enough to know what that means. We personally put a lot of value into our own sanctuary. It's a place that is fully your own, designed specifically to your own personal needs. It's where you are the most relaxed and the most productive, where you can wind down and be creative at the same time. It's your own corner of the world. Some people cannot wait to leave their homes, while others cannot wait to come back.
The luxury of progress. Everyone says they want to be a better version of themselves, but statistically speaking, most people end up a shadow of their former glory. This happens because they get comfortable and content with how their life looks. The desire for a higher quality of life seems more like a chore than a personal challenge. That's why to give yourself a chance at real progress is a luxury. It means you escape the boundaries of what the world considers a normal quiet life, and that's all you need: a real chance at real progress. But it's something that's scarce, which makes it a luxury.
And lastly, the luxury to stop and maintain. Now, this luxury can only happen once progress is achieved. You got yourself a quality of life that is enough for you. From now on, it's just diminishing returns and a higher score on that board just for the sake of it. You see, most people work so their lives don't get worse. A few work so their lives get better, and a very small percentage works to maintain the life they already have achieved and are happy with. This is when wealth happens, because wealth is essentially a bunch of systems that support your desired lifestyle. It's the ultimate form of luxury, and unfortunately, less than 1% of people will ever get to experience this kind of luxury.
Now, Alux, luxuries come in all shapes and forms, but the most valuable ones are the ones only you can make for yourself. And of course, we've got a bonus save for every one of you who always sticks with us until the end. That bonus is the luxury to start over. When most people fail, they never recover. They're forever scared by their own inability or misfortune. It takes years or even decades to bounce back to a place that's decent enough. If you ever find yourself in a position where you fail and have the option to start over, well, my friend, consider yourself lucky and take full advantage of it.